The Purdue University Center for Cancer Research was established in 1978 as an NCI-designated basic Cancer Research Center. The Center capitalizes on Purdue's nationally recognized strengths in engineering, chemistry and the biological sciences to focus institutional transdisciplinary expertise on the cancer problem. The interface among the diverse scientific specialties is exploited in inter- and intraprogrammatic collaborations that the Center fosters, and this represents a fundamental and unique strength of this Center. The Center's four scientific programs integrate chemical design and synthesis (Medicinal Chemistry Program), protein structural analysis (Chemical and Structural Biology Program), development of new molecules and materials for cancer detection, delivery of therapeutics (Drug Design and Molecular Sensing Program) and molecular mechanisms of cell growth (Cell Growth and Differentiation Program) to form a network of collaborative science that crosses multiple disciplines. The synergism generated by the Center Programs derives from the Center's focus on transdisciplinary research as the key to progress in controlling cancer. In addition to its scientific programs, the Center fosters fundamental cancer research through six Center-sponsored discovery groups, a Pilot Grants Program, retreats and seminar programs. The four scientific programs are served by seven shared resources: Flow Cytometry and Cell Separation; DNA Sequencing; Proteomics; Macromolecular Crystallography; Mass Spectrometry; Nuclear Magnetic Resonance; and Transgenic Mouse. The Center for Cancer Research Support Grant also provides funds for the strategic recruitment of new cancer-focused investigators to the Center, for planning and evaluation, and for administration and organization of the Center. Relevance: The Purdue University Center for Cancer Research brings together investigators from multiple disciplines to address important cancer questions. Leaders in the Center provide resources and organizational capacity that enable the pursuit of collaborative research. The collaborative efforts generate transdisciplinary investigations that lead to novel discoveries, which improve in early detection and care of cancer patients.